The Diario de todo lo ocurrido en la expugnacion de Bocachica y sitio de la ciudad de Cartagena de las Indias formado de los pliegos remitidos a S.M. .. por el Virrey de Santa Fe Don Sebastian Eslaba, printed in Cadiz in 1741 is an interesting historical account of the siege and raid of Cartagena de Indias and Bocachica, written by Sebastian de Eslaba.
It is the official Spanish account of the siege and raid of Cartagena de Indias and Bocachica (nowadays Colombia, one of the most significant ports of the Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada and South America), by Admiral Edward Vernon in 1741. The port had been the target of piracy and attempts to conquer several times, most famously, those of Drake in 1585 and a French ransom in 1697. The work narrates in details, as an eyewitness report, the event and engagements occurred during the capture, raid and taking-back of the city. “In this same day the fourth, being the Viceroy and Don Blas de Leso sitting at the Alcazar of the vessel the Galicia, a cannon ball took the feet of the stool they were sitting on, and although the slivers heart their feet, and Don Blas de Leso an arm, it was so minor the contusion, that neither, nor the other, were prevented from continuing in their tasks, without pulling away from danger”. The bravery of the Spanish Captain was well known and it might one of the few cases in which the writer did not need to appeal to creativeness to make a remarkable account.
Vernon (1684 – 1757) was an English naval officer; he gained fame during the War of Jenkins Ear with the taking of Porto Bello in 1739. The taking of the city was celebrated as one of Britain’s most important victories in the Antilles.
Two years later, Vernon, along with Major General Thomas Wentworth, lead the largest British fleet ever assembled, to attack the Spanish colonial port of Cartagena; it consisted of nearly 26,000 men and over 180 ships, the port was defended with a garrison of 2,000 men and 6 ships and commanded by no less than the one-armed, one-legged and one-eyed Blas de Lezo (1689 – 1741), a fearless Spanish commander. The raid was actually successful in taking the castle and landing into the city; however, they were shortly defeated by a combination of poor leadership on their part, disease and Eslaba’s manoeuvres. The English retreated back to Jamaica.
“In March, 1741, Admiral Vernon, with a large fleet, and an army of 9,000 men under the command of Brigadier-General Wentworth, arrived off Carthagena. The divided command, the incompetence and self-conceit of Wentworth, and the natural antipathy between the two characters caused delays which proved fatal. The forts guarding the entrance to the harbour were reduced, and the fleet cut the boom blocking the Boca-Chica, and passed into the harbour. Wentworth delayed his attack on the forts dominating the City for four days, so giving the Spaniards time to recover. When he did assault, his attack was beaten off with heavy loss. The wet season set in, and of the force of 6,600 who had landed more than half were dead or dying. On April 17, the miserable remnant re-embarked, and the fleet returned to Port Royal.” (Maggs, Travel, 4564, 1926).
The defeat was rotund, and the British army shamed, no further attempts to attack the city were undertaken. Lezo’s died shortly after, and is still considered the lion of Cartagena.
The book is referenced by Palau, 71842 and Sabin, 19951 (a 1743 edition).
